A Mother's Love (or, How to Not Kill Your Dog)

Oh Boy.  What a week.  Why did I disappear again, just after I'd told you I was excited to be writing again?  Well, I was busy keeping my dog alive . . .

After a whirlwind of travel last month, followed by a friendly visit from Tropical Storm Isaac, I was finally enjoying getting settled in to our island routine again.  This is a particularly quiet time of year on the island - turns out hurricane season is not a draw for the tourists - and I was enjoying the slow summer pace.  After posting last Monday, I decided to take advantage of the deliciously warm summer sea and go for a swim.

After wrapping up various chores late afternoon, I threw on a swimsuit, grabbed a beach towel and called out to Angel, "Wanna go swimming?"  As this phrase is well-recognized in her little dog vocabulary, she came trotting to the screen door, and out we went.  Traipsing down the back steps, our feet hit the sand and we strolled - well, I strolled and she scampered - to the water's edge.  I walked right in.  No need to dance the toes to get used to a chilly temperature.  No, the water is bathtub warm and so clear that I can see everything clearly in the 1-3 feet depth out back.

Angel waded in with me to her chest, then waded back out and raced around on the sand and coral rock.  Eventually, I walked back to the beach, scooped her up and carried her out to float with me in the slightly deeper water.  Ahhh, so relaxing.

Swimming in the backyard on another day.

After half an hour or so, I headed in.  Angel ran ahead of me and up the steps, probably attempting to escape the mandatory post-saltwater-sea-and-sand bath on the downstairs patio.  I walked up to retrieve her for her bath.  As I reached the top of the steps, I vaguely remember seeing her on the deck by the chaise lounges - had she just jumped up and slipped or fallen off?  I'm still not entirely clear.  All I know is that my baby began screaming in pain.

I don't mean whimpering or crying or even howling.  She was screaming, eyes wild with pain and terror and locked onto mine.  However, she wouldn't let me near her.  I kept looking at her, got down to her level and told her in soothing tones that she would be okay.

Today those big 'ol eyes are calm.

Finally, she let me pick her up gently.  I gave her a quick rinse with the hose.  Less for cleanliness concerns and more because in my desperation to help her, I wondered if the salt water was somehow stinging her.  That is not particularly logical, but is likely tied in my mind to the only other time I've heard Angel scream in pain - when rock salt on City sidewalks in our former winter world got in her paws.

Anyway, once I rinsed her and swaddled her in a towel, I simply held her until she calmed down.  At this point, I was sitting on the bedroom floor - away from the chill of the living room A/C - and both of us were dripping all over the tile floor.

After she calmed, I attempted to trouble-shoot the source of her pain.  I already knew she wasn't bleeding, although she did have a bad scrape on her inside thigh.  I also had felt her enough to know there were no broken bones apparent.  Did she throw her sensitive back out?  Did she fall and badly bruise her leg?

I just couldn't be sure.  All I knew was that my darling dog, who usually lets me poke and prod her with the nonchalant patience of a saint, wouldn't let me touch her anywhere on her back end.  Nor could she get comfortable to lie down or even sit.  She whimpered and was clearly in pain.

Desperate to ease her pain, but aware of her small size, I gave her a quarter tablet of Excedrin, the only pain relief medicine I had around.  Angel eventually was able to lie down, but she remained uncomfortable.  I had to carry her up and down the steps to go potty outside, and, even with my super-careful maneuvering, she winced every time I touched her.

The next day, I continued my Excedrin regimen.  Angel was eating and going about her business as usual, but she was very subdued and clearly still in discomfort.

Then, we reached Phase 2.  Angel began vomiting late Tuesday afternoon.  Hmmm, I presumed the Excedrin was upsetting her stomach, so I knew to discontinue that, but thought I'd look up online how to ease her tummy.  I hadn't even finished entering my key words "Excedrin" "dog" before other terrifying words and links started popping up.

Toxic.

Liver Failure.

Fatal.

No. No. No!  What had I done?!  Frantically, I began to read.  

(And why I hadn't googled this BEFORE I gave Excedrin to Angel, I'll never know!  I mean, I used to research for a living, for heaven's sake, and I remain queen of the google.  I guess I was just so focused on getting her relief that it didn't occur to me that my baby is not, in fact, a person and that I should check out the over-the-counter medicine she was about to trustingly take from me.  Sigh.)

So, it turns out that acetaminophen is extremely toxic to dogs (and caffeine ain't so great either).  It can cause liver failure and all kinds of dangers, even - gulp - death.  I was simultaneously reading everything I could at a rapid pace, instant messaging with an online vet service, and - after a tearful phone call to my father who worked decades in the pharmaceutical industry - reading the pharmacology information he sent me.  (If you're curious for the details, the vet "bible" gives the technical information here.)

Thankfully, I'd given her very small doses.  Even so, I was terrified that I'd done serious harm to her, and I was stricken with guilt and remorse at being the one to have done this to her!  I managed to reach my vet in Florida by phone and discussed this with him.  Unfortunately, all of the remedial steps recommended by my vet (and the online vet and my father) were simply impossible.  I had zero access to any of the veterinary medicines they discussed.   (Of course, no vet on this tiny island.)  I didn't even have access to a store that carried enough variety of human medications to get acceptable alternatives.

My only course of action was to withhold food, encourage water, get through the night and see how she was in the morning.  UGH.  (I even considered flying out with a private pilot that night, but we wouldn't have been able to land in the U.S. before Customs closed.)  By this time, Angel had stopped vomiting (after six episodes!).  She was listless, but not totally out of it.  She was also still in pain so it was difficult to tell if she was subdued from the pain, or because I poisoned her, or both!

Beau encouraged me to just make plans to take her to the vet the next morning - for my own peace of mind, to do whatever they could for her, and since she was still in pain anyway.  We first contemplated going to a vet in Nassau - it's a shorter flight and far cheaper than flying to the States.  But I decided I'd be more comfortable taking her to her regular vet in Florida rather than an unknown vet in Nassau (where we've had less-than-stellar vet experiences before, I hate to say).

Because it's the slow season, I didn't even know if I'd be able to get a flight out the next day.  It was after-hours, and the local charter service was closed.  Fortunately, one of the friendly staffers answered my after-hours email; they had a flight the next morning, and she put me and Angel on it!

I didn't sleep much that night, checking on Angel every time I heard her - and also when she was too quiet! - and making sure she wasn't showing other dangerous symptoms:  drooling, gum color change, jaundiced eyes, etc.  She seemed okay and, while I was sad that she was hungry, I was relieved to see her roaming the kitchen in search of breakfast, demonstrating that she still had her ever-present appetite.

After a heads up to the vet that we were headed in, Angel and I spent the morning in an airplane.  Upon landing, I went straight to the vet.  He had me leave her there so he could administer an iv with fluids, cleanse her liver, check her blood levels, give her a full xray, etc.  At the end of the day, I picked her up.  Good report!  He couldn't see permanent damage and her blood levels were okay.  He gave me a variety of medicines and homeopathic remedies to maintain with her, and we returned the next day to confirm the blood levels were still okay.  PHEW.

The vet shaved her little arm for the iv.  See her freckles/spots?!

He also surmised that her pain stemmed from an historically "bad knee" which has gotten worse, and he showed me the details on her little xray.  Thankfully, she seemed to have gotten herself righted again.  Although she still seemed a little sensitive, she was no longer in pain.

SO.  Moral of this story?  NO ACETAMINOPHEN FOR ANIMALS!  And really, don't give anything without checking it through the vet, or at least the almighty Google.  Duh.

Back home and relaxed today, shaved arm and all.

This story had a good ending.  As much as I ascribe human characteristics to Angel, even I don't think she is highly evolved enough to appreciate that I almost killed her (okay, that's a little dramatic, but I still feel terrible about it!) and that she, therefore, can be appreciative of her own Better Life!  :)

Kibble ball breakfast today, perky as ever.

Another good ending to this story is that it gave me the opportunity to see my dad, brother, grandparents, a good friend and to spend my mother's birthday weekend celebrating in person with her!

As a final aside, the unplanned trip also ended up with me attending a dynamic and entertaining presentation by Paul Efron about "Hope."  Paul, a guest speaker at my church that day, usually works in a recovery setting, and he is a wildly popular speaker about overcoming adversity.  In a delightful chat with him afterward, Paul also tuned me in to an intriguing book series and community of people - all coming from a place of gratitude and sharing their stories of triumph.  It's called Thank God I . . . and it has a definite Better Life philosophy!  Check it out at www.thankgodi.com

Now, I'm pleased to report that Angel and I are happily home. After arriving yesterday morning, I delighted in putting away Stateside groceries, starting the never-ending laundry, cooking for Beau who seems to have been subsisting largely on takeout and the mercy of others, enjoying the warm sun combined with a strong cool breeze, and relishing the HAPPY feeling of being home!

Angel back to her Better Life today, napping per usual.

Summer Birthdays

I know, I know, I haven't been posting as much as I used to.  And I REALLY do want to get back to it.  I've just been having too much fun!!  :)  

Most notably,  I just came off of a week/end of delightful birthday festivities.  But before we talk about that, I'll fill you in on the biggest birthday bash of the summer . . .

Beau turned 50!  In the midst of a hectic time, we threw a weekend-long party last month.  As you know, our tiny island is home to fewer than 100 full-timers, plus the many visitors that travel through on boats and in rental cottages.  But for this weekend, close to 300 people converged at the parties - all the locals, friends from neighboring islands, family and friends from Nassau and elsewhere!

Family started to arrive on that Thursday while Beau and the guys were out diving (free-diving and spear-fishing) to get fish for the parties.  By Friday, all of us were in full party-prepping mode:  cleaning fish, seasoning fish/chicken/mutton, making a variety of salads and side dishes, etc.  

A friend in my kitchen making conch chowder.

Beau's family at his dock, cleaning fish.

Friday evening, the party kicked off at the main dock in the center of town.  It was a low-key, very native-style cookout.  The buffet-style menu included -- all home-caught and home-made -- conch chowder, mutton souse, chicken souse, boiled wilks and fried fish.  Beau had a bar set-up, and friends and family mingled over drinks and good island food.

Bellies full, the crowd mingles.

Birthday Beau and I with friends.

Saturday brought the next phase of party/food prep.  It was a lot of work - no catering in these parts, all DIY! - but we had so many family and friends pitching in.  One person made conch salad, another green salad, another lobster salad, another macaroni-n-cheese, another conch fritters, another deviled eggs, another seasoned and slow-roasted the pork, etc.  I made multiple runs to the little food stores for last minute items people needed, helped coordinate it all, made rum punch with Beau, and worked on cleaning up the party area, setting up chairs and tables and decorating.

Finally, after a really quick rainshower that gave us a momentary scare, but amounted to nothing more, the party began!  And oh. what fun it was!

Friends and family volunteering as servers to the giant buffet line.  Great food!

After a truly scrumptious meal, we surprised Beau with a presentation that the local children and I had been planning.  I recited a poem I'd written, the children performed hand motions along with it, and then - one by one - each child went up to Beau with a handmade card, a hug and proclaimed to the crowd the reason why they loved him.  It was so heartfelt and moving - love those kids!

The children and I on the platform, about to start the presentation.

After that, the band played good ol' Bahamian rake-n-scrape music all night, people danced, we ate cake and cupcakes, the kids played down on the beach and away from the "adult party," and a great time was had by all!

The band came in from Nassau for the party.

The bar.

 

The dancing begins!

Birthday Beau and I with good friends, having fun!

After that big bash, and a whirlwind trip to the States that included a friend's birthday bash, I was happy to be home on the island during this quieter end-of-summer time.  (Well, quiet except for the occasional tropical storm, that is!)

So imagine my delighted surprise when Beau mentioned in passing that he was putting together a little birthday BBQ for me!  We had dinner out for my actual birthday during the week, and then we celebrated with island friends this past weekend with a BBQ on the beach Saturday evening.  It was low-key, relaxed and simply perfect.

With my beautiful neighbor and friend.

With friends, against the backdrop of a pink sunset sky.

Our dear cousin/friend mans the grill.

Beau and the grill masters:  chicken, ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs.

Milo hanging out with us.  Angel happily ensconced at home, away from the crowd.

I enjoyed a happy, happy, happy birthday!

And that gives you a peek into our parties - island style!  This birthday season, I remain so incredibly thankful for a wonderful year and my own Better Life!

Have a wonderful week, and Happy Labor Day to all of you American readers!

Tropical Storm Isaac

Well, he's gone.  Tropical Storm Isaac is long gone from our stretch of islands.  (Continued prayers and best wishes for those who remain in his battering path!)  Thankfully, it was a fairly uneventful storm for us, as these things go.

Many of you have never lived through a tropical storm or hurricane.  Of course, there are plenty of blizzards, floods and other natural disasters to keep us all on our toes in every corner of the world!  But, even in my Better Life, hurricanes are the most dangerous for us here.  

In fact, I had just completed my move down here last summer when Hurricane Irene came through with a Category 3 intensity.  We were fortunate in that everyone was unharmed, but roofs, docks, trees, gutters and other physical property suffered.  It was also the longest night of my life with winds over 100 mph howling and shaking the shutters, power out and the house pitch dark.

But I digress.  And, since it's all relative, Tropical Storm Isaac seemed more like a cold front coming through!  Nonetheless, we take every storm system seriously, knowing it can change or surprise even the savviest of weather predictors.  

Here's the chronology of how I spent my time with Tropical Storm Isaac:

Friday, August 24

Storm preparation:

• With winds picking up already, I did the final loads of laundry from my trip before rains set in.  
• I also worked up quite a sweat putting away all potential flying missiles outside:  lawn furniture dragged inside the house, decorative conch shells put under the stairs and indoors, hoses and trash bins inside, etc.  
• I parked the golf cart down low and close to the house and checked for extra gasoline. 
• Although we usually keep jugs of water on hand for when the water shuts off (knock on wood, it hasn't happened much this summer), I filled extra jugs and stored them in the utility room.
• Gathered up towels for possible water leaks.
• Checked flashlights and batteries.

Outdoor gear now sitting in my foyer.

Had the threat been any more serious for us, like Hurricane Irene was, we would've taken even more precautionary measures like cooking food in advance, unhooking propane tanks, charging portable radios, packing emergency bags, etc.  But for now, this was good.

However, around 5:00 p.m. we were surprised when the first band of the storm apparently came through.  Nobody on the island was expecting to feel too much until later the next day.  But, all of a sudden, it started to pour rain and winds stepped up to 40-50 mph.  Soaking wet, I dashed around outside to put on the hurricane shutters that I had contemplated doing the next day.  Thankfully, they are the kind that pull closed, so they're not too difficult to manage.

Then, after all that excitement, it settled down again and remained that way.  So much so that Beau and I headed out to a local bar to visit with friends (which I especially enjoyed since I hadn't seen folks in 3 weeks or more).  Home to a late dinner and an uneventful night's sleep.

Saturday, August 25

9:00 a.m.- Winds at 30-40 mph.  Still some sunshine.  Whitecaps on our usually still water out back.

Can't be too bad yet - Milo and Angel napping near the open front door.

Hurricane shutters in the morning light.

You know how calm my backyard usually looks.  Whitecaps here.

11:00 a.m. - Skies are grey, wind is picking up.  Dogs still snoozing.

Storm?  What storm?

The big guard dog, clearly on high alert.

12:00 p.m.  - Enjoying the housebound day, I make a big brunch.  Potato pancakes (starting with leftover mashed potatoes), eggs over easy with plenty of our local hot sauce, prosciutto and cheese, sliced strawberries.  With belly full, we're ready for you, Isaac!

1:00 p.m. - It's kicking in!  Must be the second band.  Rain.  Winds with gusts of 55-65 mph.  Then (relatively) quiet again.

4:30 p.m. - Skies darkening again and wind picking up.  Walking out on my front porch to check the eastern/southern skies, I see my neighbor doing a last minute shingle repair!  His wife, with her long hair whipping all around her head, and a friend steadied the ladder (and likely worried) while my brave neighbor calmly went about his business.

"Ya gotta do what ya gotta do!"

Starting to get small waves out back.  Keep in mind that my home location on the island is on the lee side of the storm and not catching the full force of the winds directly.  Phew!

Seas still far rougher than normal.  And see the palm tree in the middle with its fronds plastered back in the wind?

6:00 p.m.  Now it's seriously coming.  Must be the third band.  Major winds and driving rain.  Water coming in under front door and one unshuttered window on the eastern/weather side.  Dogs barking at the rattling noises from the shutters.  Power goes out for half an hour, but thankfully comes back on (and remains on throughout!)

Basket full of sopping wet towels from blocking the door/window.

7:00 p.m. - Decided we better shutter up the front door (which we can't open from the inside) to prevent more water overnight.  So we did, leaving the back door (on the lee side) unshuttered for an exit and outdoor view.  Instead of dragging out the ladder to shutter the problematic window, I popped out the screen from the inside and closed it that way.  Now secured, we went ahead and ate dinner.  Stir fry steak, with rice, fresh vegetables and an Asian ginger sauce.  Just because there's a tropical storm doesn't mean we can't eat well!

9:00 p.m. - Quiet evening.  Still have tv (satellite) reception, but audio has been cutting in and out all day.  We watch a DVD movie instead and turn in early.  Dogs have to take their bedtime potty break out the back door and on leashes - I'm not about to risk one of them running off to explore tonight! 

Sunday, August 26

2:00 a.m. - I awaken to raging winds and rattling shutters.  However, knowing it is "just" a tropical storm, I am able to go back to sleep (very different from our night with Hurricane Irene last year!).

7:00 a.m. - Beau and I take the dogs and go for a morning drive to survey the island.  Thankful to see no real damage anywhere.  All roofs intact.  Don't even see trees down, just lots of leaves and tumbleweeds everywhere.  Still dark and squally and spitting rain.  Not experiencing any surge from this storm, which can do so much damage.

9:00 a.m. - Curious to see how wild the ocean looks on the weather side of the island, I take a ride out to the ridge.  I leave my golf cart safely on the low road and hike up to the ridge for a look-see.  (Don't worry, it wasn't blowing too hard or I wouldn't have ventured out there.)

Safe harbor for the champion sailboats and others in an interior channel.

View from the ocean ridge.

Not as rough as I expected, actually!

10:00 a.m. - Beau's cousin cooks up some boiled fish and grits.  I swing by for some island comfort food on this stormy day, then leave the guys to talk shop, while I return to the comfort of my couch with a book.

At this point, winds were SSE at 40-50 mph, with gusts at 60+.  We were through the worst of it and just settled in for another day of wind and occasional rain.

Monday, August 27

Back to business as usual!  Beau goes to work.  I go to work putting the house back together:  opening shutters, carrying lawn furniture outside, washing and drying towels, etc.  The only "repair" work I have is a screen that was blown off (from a loose corner) before I could get the shutters on.  An easy fix since the screen itself isn't ripped.  As these things go, we got off extremely easy!

My only casualty.  Yay!

Now, we enjoy the sunshine and the "return to normal," while checking on the progress of Isaac and sending prayers to those in Louisiana, Mississippi and otherwise in his path.

Three Weeks of Travel (and a friend's 40th birthday!)

FINALLY!  I'm back!  What a whirlwind it's been these last few weeks . . .

After a flurry of activity on the island, Beau and I were ready for a relaxing getaway to the Florida Keys.  However, the day before we were to leave, my mother reported that my grandmother had just been taken by ambulance to the hospital.  Yikes!  I put my packing into overdrive, snagged the last seat on the afternoon plane, grabbed Angel and left my island home for three weeks!  Thankfully, Grandma lives near Mom in South Florida, which is where Beau and I were headed the next day anyway.  Beau was out diving that day - opening day of lobster season! - so he didn't even know of my last-minute departure until he returned home to my note!

I'm happy to report that my Grandmother is just fine.  I spent that evening and the next morning with her in the hospital.  Glad to know she was okay and would be returning home soon, I picked up Beau at the airport and we headed south.  

The next few days brought lots of relaxing, Olympics-viewing and good times with local friends.  The following week, Beau headed back to work on the island, and I stayed in South Florida to run a slew of island errands and visit with family.

Glad I was there, too, because my Grandmother's husband was taken by ambulance to the hospital!  He ended up right in the room next to where she'd been admitted just the week before.  Sigh.  Happily, he is fine now, too.  But I was glad to be able to help transport Grandma back and forth and share hospital responsibilities with my mother.  My grandparents are in great shape, but they are in their late 80's and stuff just happens!

Eventually, it was time for the last leg of my trip - a return to the Midwest for a close friend's 40th birthday weekend getaway!  Angel remained comfortably with my mother (who dotes on her grandpuppy - thanks, Mom!), and I jetted off for a fabulous weekend.  Beau had travel plans with other friends, so he wasn't able to join me.

However, before Beau left but while I was away from the cay, a dear friend of mine from law school ended up on our tiny island and tracked down Beau, whom he'd met 15 years ago when Beau and I were first dating!

Beau and Brian, living it up without me!

It KILLED me not to be there with them!  But I eased my suffering by heading off on my adventure with friends.  Upon landing in the heartland, a girlfriend picked me up at the airport and we drove several hours to a quaint, countryside town for the birthday weekend.

The Girls!  Let the fun begin . . .

 

Birthday Girl and her Hubby, who masterfully planned the wonderful weekend.

My Besties, at a wine-tasting before dinner.

About to embark on a canoe trip.

Love the group t-shirts!  Her husband printed nicknames on all - mine was "Blogger!"

Lining up with our canoes.

My roomie and canoe partner BEFORE I kept steering her into the bush.

Captain Donna after we switched spots - apparently, I'm a better bowman.

Scenic and lovely.

Bloody Marys and comfort food after our hard work.

Dinner at the charming hotel.

I just loved the trains against the country backdrop.

The whole gang, sans Beau.

The Blondes.

The girls with the cake before dinner.

So much fun!  A great time was had by all, and it was so wonderful to catch up with friends.  I headed back to the Big City and enjoyed dinner that evening with other dear friends.  

The next morning, after breakfast with yet another great girlfriend, I headed into my old office!  I spent FIVE HOURS in the law firm, visiting three floors of attorneys and staff.  Yes, it was a little surreal, but it was heart-warming to see old friends with whom I'd spent every work day for more than 10 years!  Everyone commented that island life seems to agree with me, and this visit reaffirmed it that much more.  I simply laughed and reminded them that they just are not used to seeing what "relaxed" people look like!  :)

Then, it was back to Florida for one more day of final island errands, including vet certificates so Angel can re-enter the Bahamas and a giant grocery run.  Added on to the many "island errands" from the week prior, it amounted to quite a haul!  I told Beau it was a truck kind of day, rather than a golf cart kind of day, for my airport pickup back on the island!

Angel and I happily landed on the island and greeted with Beau with enthusiasm, then I began the long process of unpacking and organizing all the stuff.  Like what?  Think: new cordless phone since power surges fried the old one despite its protector, loads of cleaning supplies, dog food, plastic bins/organizers, new bedsheets, file folders, printer ink, bathroom supplies, superglue, cooler full of meat for the deep freezer, stacks of dry goods, etc.  

It was a great trip - though three weeks is too long to be gone, I think - and wonderful to return.  We went out last evening and it was such fun to see "the guys" and other island friends.  Home sweet home.

And now, our home sweet home reluctantly welcomes Tropical Storm Isaac.  So far, so good . . . Enjoy your weekend!